The One Thing Study is a personal devotional tool. The goal of a One Thing Study is worship. It is designed for the reader to engage God in a two-way conversation through reading Scripture and prayer. God speaks to us through His word, and we speak to God in prayer. Healthy relationships consist of two-way communication. The One Thing Study is simple, transferable, and powerful. It includes the following steps. For memorization purposes, they spell the word ONE.
Step 1. O = Observe the Scripture.
Read the Bible. The Bible is divided into two main sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament. Each testament is divided into books. Each book is divided into chapters. Each chapter usually contains one or more passages. A passage has an italicized heading and usually contains one or more paragraphs. How much of the Bible you read at a time is up to you. Some read a passage at a time, others one or more chapters at a time.
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Start at the beginning of a New Testament book. Then read the entire book. First-time readers are encouraged to start by reading one of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) or the book of Romans. The Gospels tell about the life of Jesus Christ. The book of Romans is the most theologically comprehensive book in the Bible. A good Old Testament book to read is the first book, Genesis. It describes the origin of mankind and displays the nature of God. Psalms and Proverbs are rich readings as well. Read a translation that is easy to understand. The New Living Translation (NLT) is a reliable and easy-to-comprehend translation.
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The word of God ignites our worship of God, which drives our witness for God. |
Step 2. N = Note the one thing that speaks to your heart the most.
Mark the one thing that resonates the most with you. It may be a word, phrase, sentence, or verse. Underline it, highlight it, or circle it. Whatever you do, make sure you mark it. Marking your one thing allows for easy access for personal reflection or when sharing with others.
The smaller the one thing the better. Meditating on a word or phrase is much easier than thinking about a large section of Scripture. Dwelling on just a few words of the Scripture throughout the day is a powerful experience.
Stick with it even if the first reading is not productive. If nothing speaks to your heart, stop and ask God to help you hear His voice as you reread the Scripture. If several things speak to your heart, ask God to help you notice just one that speaks to you the most. Trying to meditate on too many things can dilute the impact of thinking about just one thing. Your next One Thing Study should begin where you left off.
The smaller the one thing the better. Meditating on a word or phrase is much easier than thinking about a large section of Scripture. Dwelling on just a few words of the Scripture throughout the day is a powerful experience.
Stick with it even if the first reading is not productive. If nothing speaks to your heart, stop and ask God to help you hear His voice as you reread the Scripture. If several things speak to your heart, ask God to help you notice just one that speaks to you the most. Trying to meditate on too many things can dilute the impact of thinking about just one thing. Your next One Thing Study should begin where you left off.
Step 3. E = Express it back to God.
Pray your one thing back to God. Have a conversation with God about what He just said to you. The key is that it’s meaningful. The goal is worship. The intended outcome is reverent love for the Lord. The kind of spiritual refreshment that encourages your heart and stays with you the rest of the day.
Pray your One Thing with responsiveness in mind. It may be a truth to reflect upon, a directive to obey, or a promise to embrace. It can be a confession to make, praise to offer, or an open-ended question for the Holy Spirit to answer throughout the day.
Pray your one thing with your nature in mind. Perfectionists need to be mindful of not always looking for something to correct or ways to improve. Instead, just give thanks or offer praise. Others need to be mindful of not just going through the motions. You will get out of this what you put into it. As Rick Warren says, “We are as spiritually mature as we choose to be."
When sharing your One Thing with others, keep the focus personal by speaking in the first person (I and me) rather than the more impersonal second or third person. Try avoiding using words like, you, they and we, when sharing your One Thing.
Listening to someone share about their One Thing study is like putting a spiritual stethoscope against their heart. It reveals the depth and intimacy of their relationship with God. More can be learned about how people share their One Thing than just about anything else. The true measure of spiritual maturity can often be learned just by listening to someone share their One Thing.
Pray your one thing with your nature in mind. Perfectionists need to be mindful of not always looking for something to correct or ways to improve. Instead, just give thanks or offer praise. Others need to be mindful of not just going through the motions. You will get out of this what you put into it. As Rick Warren says, “We are as spiritually mature as we choose to be."
When sharing your One Thing with others, keep the focus personal by speaking in the first person (I and me) rather than the more impersonal second or third person. Try avoiding using words like, you, they and we, when sharing your One Thing.
Listening to someone share about their One Thing study is like putting a spiritual stethoscope against their heart. It reveals the depth and intimacy of their relationship with God. More can be learned about how people share their One Thing than just about anything else. The true measure of spiritual maturity can often be learned just by listening to someone share their One Thing.